Baker's Law
Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it.

Ranganathan Street
This post was spurred by my recent visit to the ubiquitous Ranganathan Street. Yes, The Ranganathan Street, one of the most famous shopping areas of Chennai. A traveller coming to Chennai should not miss this place or its cousin, the Pondy Bazaar - it does not sell what its name suggests or what you think of it. I know that it is not as high flown as Fifth Avenue or as popular as Bangalore's but its something that all Chennaiites are proud of.

During Weekends, the two shopping areas get hectic. In Ranganathan street and the adjoining Usman Road, for example, all you can see is a sea of black heads bobbing up and down slowly.
These three areas in T. Nagar attract lakhs from the surrounding areas, who come mostly on a Saturday morning and leave that evening with their shopping bags full. U can get almost anything here, from clothing, jewellery, accessories and other knick knacks. In fact, one magazine jokingly quoted that "It is possible to get everything here except wife and kids"....
Anyway, my visit to Ranganathan Street is purposed mainly to travel in the suburban railway, or to do some vegetable shopping there, but I never go there to shop for clothes or any other items. I got pretty bored of it, what with so much crowd and pollution and lack of accessibility (which should not worry a die hard tourist).
I shall come to my point.
What surprised me recently (I could not go there for a while due to other personal restraints) was the fact the domination of Ranganathan Street by Saravana Stores (That link is for ppl who know tamil. I have not been able to find a good one with English on it). There are too many shops owned by Saravana Stores. Not that I am against it in any way, but as any economist knows, such a large domination spoils the competition and reduces the quality. For example, there was first a Saravana Stores - a general merchants shop, then came the jewellary and clothing sections. All of them were housed in four storey blocks. Soon after them followed Saravana Provisions and then Saravana Streets and after that a fast food owned by them.... And then, at the entrance of the shopping street, there is one more sweets shop and a fruit shop (?).
It has been a gradual "Four - Year" transform from Ranganathan Street to Saravana Street. That is what I am unhappy about. IF u ever do take a visit to this place, u will know what I am talking about.

Well ,theres is nothing I can do about it. I just have to wait and see what will happen, and till then ignore that such shop actually exists during my weekly (if possible) crushing strolls to get to the vegetable market via Ranganathan Street....

P.B (Post Blog) : I tried to make it like Jags, Hence I peppered it with a lot of links. If they do not work, do comment. I spent over an hour collecting all these links.
P.B : If u do come to T. Nagar to shop, drop by my house, its very near to that place (otherwise I wouldnt have strolled by so many times to that place to make so many useless observations